Audiobook Review: Test Drive by Riley Hart, Narrated by Sean Crisden

I absolutely LOVE Riley Hart's books! She is one of my go-to authors when I am looking for a fantastic story. She has never let me down, and I love that she can bring the steam as well as all the feels! This series just might be my favorite of hers, and if you are a fan of M/M books you have to read these! Sean Crisden is the narrator for Test Drive, and I think he is the perfect fit to bring Riley's words to life!

Just after learning that his dad has cancer and a family that Justin never knew about, he leaves his life behind to help his dad try and make amends for his past. While trying to find his place in a family he never knew about with his new siblings, Justin goes out to let off a little steam and has a hookup that just leaves him wanting more. But when he finds out that his hookup is actually his new sister's brother in law, he knows things are about to get even more complicated. Though both know that they can't be together for several reasons, Justin and Drew find themselves unable to stay away from each other and soon things between them are much more than friendly. But can it possibly something lasting with everything between them, especially when Justin's plan is to return home?

I loved these two. They were sexy and funny, and absolutely perfect for each other. I loved their playfulness and banter, but I also couldn't get enough of the deeper connection that they had. I loved Drew so much for being exactly what Justin needed, and always seeing it even when Justin was a bit lost. I was so glad that Justin had him and that Drew didn't care who found out because he was determined to be there for Justin in every way he needed him to be. My heart went out to Justin who was losing his dad and also the only life he had ever known. 

Overall, this book was everything. I just loved it from start to finish, seeing Drew and Justin figure things out between them, and also seeing Justin get to know his siblings. There was just so much love and family and my heart was so full at the end of this book. It had everything I love in a great romance with a cast of characters that are unique and feel so real and genuine. I have loved each couple in this series, and Justin and Drew were no different. They captured my heart right away and I will always adore them. I thought that Sean Crisden brought so much emotion and life to every part of this story and listening to Riley's words through him was such a great experience. The story was fantastic and so was the narration, I can't recommend this one enough!

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Crossroads by Riley Hart, Narrated by Sean Crisden

I am a huge fan of Riley Hart's, so when I got the opportunity to list to Crossroads I couldn't wait! Crossroads is the first book in Riley's Crossroads series and it is a standalone story narrated by Sean Crisden. In the past I have had some issues with Sean as a narrator because I felt like his voice didn't fit the age group of the characters he was portraying. I thought that he was the perfect choice here though and I really loved his interpretation of this story. He did both of the guys really well here and I liked the life he brought to Nick and Bryce. 

Nick Fuller is starting over after divorcing the woman he had been with since he was in high school. He had never been with anyone else and thought that he would be with her forever. He owns the restaurant of his dreams, but Nick is ready to move forward and meet new people. When he meets his next door neighbor Bryce Tanner, the two strike up an immediate friendship and find an easy relationship unlike they have with anyone else. Getting out of a relationship of his own recently, Bryce sets out to show Nick a good time and help him meet some women. But they both quickly realize that they would rather spend time with each other than anyone else. With both men having been straight their entire lives, the sudden attraction they feel for the other takes them by surprise. But when faced with their new crossroads, will they choose the lives they have always lead, or take a chance on something new and unexpected together?

I really loved both Nick and Bryce. These men were so easy to like right from the start. They were sexy and I couldn't get enough of them. Nick was so passionate about cooking, and I loved what a great guy he was. Same thing went for Bryce! He might have changed careers and constantly been searching for something else as his family liked to remind him, but it was clear that when he found what he was looking for and passionate about that he gave it everything he had. You could easily see his love for motorcycles and his growing relationship with Nick. These guys were fun and I loved their interactions. They were open and honest with each other, and had some of the best communication I have ever seen in a romance novel. Yes they had their moments where they didn't always tell each other everything right away, but they didn't shy away from discussing the big things and I was so glad that they were able to face everything together. They were so hot together and had a ton of steam, but their connection was so easy and solid that it just felt like they were meant for one another. I don't know that I have ever read a gay for you story that the relationship felt as natural as this one did and I just loved every bit of it. 

Overall, Crossroads was a fantastic story that was brought to life with great narration from Sean Crisden. Once I started listening I didn't want to stop, and I really felt like Sean did a great job not only differentiating between the different characters, but to really bringing the personalities out in both Nick and Bryce. It was so easy to listen to this story and I was invested the entire way through. Sometimes with audiobooks and the narration I will find my mind wandering, but that didn't happen here at all. I was captivated right away and was enjoying every minute of this book as I was listening. I already can't wait to go back and listen to this one again, and I know it will be one that I listen to and read again many times in the future. It was just such an amazing story and is definitely one of my all time favorite M/M books that I have ever read. If you are a fan of M/M romance, you definitely should be reading Riley Hart. Crossroads is a must read for me, and I am already looking forward to the next book from her.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Unexpected Fate by Harper Sloan, Narrated by Shirl Rae and Sean Crisden

Unexpected Fate is my absolute favorite book from Harper Sloan! It is so hard to pick just one since I love them all, but there is just something about this story that has stayed with me since I first read it. For those unfamiliar with Harper's books, Unexpected Fate is the first book in her Hope Town series (a spin-off from her Corps Security series featuring the children of the Corps characters), with each book being a standalone. So when I got the opportunity to experience my favorite book from Harper in a completely new way I jumped at the chance! Unexpected Fate features narrators Shirl Rae and Sean Crisden as Dani Reid and Cohen Cage.

Danielle Reid has loved Cohen Cage since they were children. Their families have been close and the two of them have always been a huge part of each other's lives. But Dani has always wanted more. She has loved him through every girl he has dated and through his deployments. But when she finally tells him how she feels, he begins to distance himself from her as much as he can. She knows that he feels something for her even if he refuses to acknowledge it. Dani and Cohen both know that with their family and friends so intertwined that if anything happens, things will be messy. But Dani is determined to finally get Cohen to give them a chance, or move on for good. 

Dani and Cohen have to be one of my all time favorite couples! These two are absolutely perfect for one another, and exactly what you would think of when the term soulmates is used. They have such a strong and undeniable connection that was there for their whole lives. These two started out as friends when they were kids, and grew into so much more as they got older. Though Cohen fought his feelings for Dani, it was clear that it was because of age and because he was trying to protect her. Dani was strong and feisty, and her love for Cohen was unwavering. Seeing her devotion to him is one of my absolute favorite things about this story. These two would go to the ends of the earth for each other, and their love and relationship is rare and special, and truly one of a kind. 

While I enjoyed seeing this story brought to life in a way that isn't possibly by simply reading the book, I have to admit that the choice in narrators wasn't my favorite. Shirl Rae had some moments where her voice came off as a bit stiff and robotic. She didn't seem to be able to bring Dani's personality to life at times, and some of Dani's spark seemed dimmed compared to how it felt by just reading the book. Same for Sean Crisden reading Cohen's POV here. His voice seemed to be a bit too old for the age group, and just didn't fit the character I have come to know and love. Unfortunately this is something I have seen previously from Sean Crisden, as he is often the narrator for many of my favorite NA stories. I'm not saying he is a bad narrator as he clearly has talent, but his voice just doesn't seem to lend itself to the younger characters. But even though the narration here wasn't my favorite, this story is so good that I found myself enjoying it regardless. Dani and Cohen's story is one that I would highly recommend, and if you love listening to audiobooks or love the NA or contemporary romance genres it is definitely work checking out.

**Audiobook Provided by Publisher**

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Audiobook Review: Let Love In by Melissa Collins, Narrated by Shirl Rae and Sean Crisden

Let Love In is the first book in the Love series by Melissa Collins. This is the first book of hers that I have ever read, and it is also the first audiobook that I have ever listened to from narrators Shirl Rae and Sean Crisden. While I did like the story, I did have a few problems with the narrators of this story.

Maddy lost her parents at a young age and was forced to leave everything she knew to go and live with her aunt. When she lost her aunt, she moved in with her best friend Melanie and her mom. They were the family that she hadn't had for years, and yet Maddy still felt alone. When Maddy and Melanie head to college, Maddy decided to change her life and start taking things a day at a time. She vowed to protect her heart and not let things get to her anymore. But she never planned on meeting Reid. Although Maddy and Reid were instantly attracted to one another and had a connection, things don't get off on the right foot for these two. But after Reid rescues Maddy one night, things change between them and soon they are embracing the connection between them. But with Maddy and Reid both having painful pasts with things that neither of them have confronted, can their love survive?

I liked both Reid and Maddy, but they both had some serious issues. They had both experienced pain and loss, and both of them did their best to run and avoid actually dealing with it. While they might have opened up to one another about things, they still didn't actually make peace with it. Because of that, the love and connection they shared was bound to have some ups and downs. I thought that Maddy acted pretty immaturely at times, as did Reid. Reid was also a jerk at first for no good reason. I felt like these two needed to grow up a bit, and they did have moments where they did seem to make some progress. They had a lot of chemistry and I felt like they were good for one another. But their relationship developed extremely fast, and was bit too insta-love for me. I wanted to see it develop a bit more before they just jumped in after everything that had happened. I thought that it was a little unbelievable considering the fact that Reid had never had any real relationships and was such a player before. It just didn't feel real with how quick everything happened. Not that I didn't believe in Maddy and Reid as a couple, I just didn't buy how fast everything got so serious and how rapidly Reid changed his ways.

Overall, I did like this story. While the story was a bit cheesy at times and a lot sweet, I did find it enjoyable. I liked Reid and Maddy together despite how they got together, and I felt like these two were a good couple. I am definitely interested to see where their story goes from here. The ending was a cliffhanger, and the story does continue in the next book which I can't wait to get my hands on. I will say that the real problems I had with this one though wasn't the actual story, but the narrators telling it. The story is told in dual POV which I love because you get to see what both the hero and heroine are going through. But I had problems with each of the narrators. I thought that Shirl Rae was overly dramatic at times, and it made the sweeter moments of this story come off as extremely cheesy. As much as I didn't care for Shirl Rae, I didn't like Sean Crisden even more. His voice came off as robotic much of the time, and when it wasn't robotic he was even more over the top and dramatic than Shirl Rae was. His voice felt too old for the character, and it sounded like a middle aged man reading the part of a college student. It just didn't work for me, and came off a bit creepy at times. I did not like his parts at all and found myself hoping to get back to Maddy's POV faster so that I wouldn't have to listen to his voice. While I liked getting Reid's POV, I wish it had been told by someone else as the narrator. I will definitely read the next book in the series as I have to know what happens next for these two after the way things were left in this one and I look forward to more from Melissa Collins in the future. But I honestly don't know if I would be able to listen to more from either of these narrators.

**Audiobook Provided by Tantor Audio**

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Audiobook Review: Reaper's Stand by Joanna Wylde, Narrated by Tatiana Sokolov and Sean Crisden

Two Words: Wow and amazing! I can’t even begin with this story! Joanna Wylde is a ridiculous storyteller! First! Wow! I usually stay away from books with a lot of vulgarity but I might make an exception for Joanna Wylde. I thought, ok I’m going to read a romantic story! I obviously had no idea!

I know that this is the fourth book in the Reapers MC series. Never heard of this series before so I had no idea what to expect. Let’s just say that after this audiobook I checked out every single one in the Reapers series!

Let’s start with our “hero.” Reese “Picnic” Hayes. Reese was so complex. He was such a jerk at times that I couldn’t stomach him and then he was also the voice of reason. Reese is the president of the Reapers Motorcycle club. Reese is a really tough guy. He is vulgar and a womanizer. He is “involved” with a woman in practically every scene. It’s hard to imagine that this vulgar, womanizing man would be loyal and protective to those around him without any limits. He never let his loved ones down and he was very vulnerable, which was completely unexpected.

London Armstrong was just like her name. She was one tough lady! London is the exact opposite of Reese. She is a quiet, hard-working, humble woman. She is just working to take care of her cousin’s daughter that is her ward-Jessica. Jessica is a mess and she kept going from one terrible situation to the next. There were times when I was screaming at London to give up on her!

One night London gets a call that Jessica is in trouble and that she is at the Reaper’s Club. London rushes over and needs Reese’s help. From that moment forward they can’t stay out of each other’s way. So granted, Reese and London had AMAZING chemistry. Their differences really made for great chemistry. They also had the funniest and wittiest conversations! I caught myself laughing continually with them! If this were a book instead of an audio, I would have had chunks of their conversations highlighted.

So yes, I knew Reese and London were a great couple BUT I did not anticipate the rest: cutoff fingers, houses blowing up, drug cartels, hostages. I was on the edge of my seat continuously. This was a none-stop- action book. The characters were all so fascinating. I’m reading all the previous books in the series. To hook us even further, the author gave us a glimpse to some of the stories that are coming up: Painter and Melanie and Jess and her mystery man. I’m hooked!

The narrators were fantastic! They really added to the story and both narrated the characters perfectly. Their witty scenes really made for interesting audio!

**Audiobook Provided by Tantor Audio**

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